US Rep. Renee Ellmers, who received Donald Trump's first congressional endorsement, lost her re-election bid in North Carolina, becoming the first Republican incumbent to lose a primary this year,
NPR reported.
Ellmers finished in a distant second to Rep. George Holding, who was pitted against Ellmers due to redistricting in the state,
The Blaze reported.
Trump went public in favor of Ellmers over the weekend, but it wasn't enough to carry her to victory.
"I need her help in Washington so we can work together to defeat ISIS, secure our border and bring back jobs and frankly, so many other things," The Blaze quoted Trump. "Renee knows how to do it. She gets it. And together, we will make America great again."
Ellmers was hit hard by some conservative groups in North Carolina, who criticized her political agenda and spent $1.1 million against her bid, NPR reported.
"We were all optimistic about Renee Ellmers when she talked about fighting Washington's special interests and cutting wasteful spending," The Blaze quoted Americans for Prosperity N.C. State Director Donald Bryson. "Unfortunately she decided that she wanted to play a different game when she arrived in D.C."
Former American Idol star Clay Aiken, who lost his bid to challenge Ellmers in 2014, took to Twitter and could not hide his joy over her defeat.
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